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Spanish-Speaking Parents' Negotiation of Language and Culture with Their Children's Schools

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Spanish-Speaking Parents' Negotiation of Language and Culture with Their Children's Schools Utah State University DigitalCommons@USU All Graduate Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies 5-2013 Spanish-speaking Parents' Negotiation of Language and Culture with their Children's Schools Ronda L. Bickmore Utah State University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd Part of the Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons, and the Educational Leadership Commons Recommended Citation Bickmore, Ronda L., "Spanish-speaking Parents' Negotiation of Language and Culture with their Children's Schools" (2013). All Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 1510. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/1510 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at DigitalCommons@USU. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@USU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. SPANISH-SPEAKING PARENTS’ NEGOTIATION OF LANGUAGE AND CULTURE WITH THEIR CHILDREN’S SCHOOLS by Ronda L. Bickmore A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in Education (Curriculum and Instruction) Approved by: Sherry Marx, Ph.D. Barry M. Franklin, Ph.D. Major Professor Committee Member Steven Laing, Ed.D. Steven Camicia, Ph.D. Committee Member Committee Member Melanie M. Domenech Rodríguez, Ph.D. Mark R. McLellan, Ph.D. Committee Member Vice President for Research and Dean of the School of Graduate Studies UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY Logan, Utah 2013 ii Copyright © Ronda L. Bickmore 2013 All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT Spanish-Speaking Parents’ Negotiation of Language and Culture with Their Children’s Schools by Ronda L. Bickmore, Doctor of Philosophy Utah State University, 2013 Major Professor: Sherry Marx, Ph.D. Department: Teacher Education and Leadership Latinos are now the largest minority population in U.S. schools. Because of a shift in Latino settlement patterns, many schools that did not previously serve substantial numbers of Latinos are doing so now. Additionally, a significant number of the Latino parents in new settlement areas are first-generation immigrants and speak little or no English. In order to support their children educationally, these relatively new immigrant, predominantly Spanish-speaking parents find it necessary to negotiate language and culture with their children’s schools. This qualitative study specifically examines how 12 Spanish-speaking parents negotiated language and culture with their children’s school in a new settlement area in the state of Utah. In order to examine the acts of negotiating language and culture, I interviewed five Latino couples and a Latino mother and a Latino father along with the school principal, three teachers, and three staff members. I also conducted 5 months of iv observations at the school and collected other data such as forms and notices. From the data, I compiled and described the acts of negotiation. I then analyzed the data using a framework consisting of postcolonial theory, social and cultural capital theories, and the concept of social discourses. Major themes that emerged from the data included the concern the parents had for their children’s education, the parents’ limited participation in the school discourse, children serving as language brokers, the maintenance and growth of their children’s heritage language, the hegemony of the English language, and issues involving social and cultural capital, linking capital, and racism. Recommendations include assuring availability of interpreters, increasing bridging and linking capital, supporting children’s heritage language, and being culturally sensitive and proactive to reduce racism. (201 pages) v PUBLIC ABSTRACT Spanish-Speaking Parents’ Negotiation of Language and Culture with Their Children’s Schools by Ronda L. Bickmore, Doctor of Philosophy Utah State University, 2013 Latinos are now the largest public school minority population in the U.S. Because of a shift in the states, cities, and counties where Latinos are choosing to live, many schools that did not previously serve substantial numbers of Latinos are doing so now. Additionally, many of the Latinos in these new settlement areas are recent immigrants who speak little or no English. This qualitative study examined how immigrant Latino parents who speak little or no English supported their children in the English-speaking school system of the U.S. It specifically examined how 12 Spanish-speaking parents negotiated language and culture with their children’s school in a new settlement area in the state of Utah. From the interviews I conducted with the Latino parents and school staff members, along with school observations and the collection of other data such as forms and notices, I examined how the parents negotiated language and culture with the school. I then analyzed the themes that emerged from this collection of data using a theoretical framework consisting of postcolonial theory, social and cultural capital, and the concept of social discourses. Major themes that emerged included the concern the parents had for their children’s education, the parents’ limited participation in the school discourse, children serving as language brokers, the maintenance and growth of their children’s heritage language, the hegemony of the English language, and issues involving social and cultural capital, linking capital, and racism. Recommendations include assuring availability of interpreters, increasing bridging and linking capital, supporting children’s heritage language, and being culturally sensitive and proactive to reduce racism. Hopefully, this research will add to the literature that will help educators better serve the growing Latino school population. vi ACKNOWLEGMENTS I would like to thank my committee chair, Dr. Sherry Marx, for her constant support, knowledgeable insights, and careful attention to my text. Her wise “consejos” prompted me to refine my thoughts and writing. I would also like to thank the other members of my committee, Drs. Barry Franklin, Steven Laing, Steven Camicia, and Melanie Domenech Rodriguez, for their support, encouragement, and guidance. Their differing, individual perspectives brought a richness to my work for which I am truly thankful. I am also grateful to Dr. Melanie Domenech Rodriguez for her helpful editing and language assistance. I would also like to thank the Utah State University Graduate Student Senate for the grant that provided the funds to transcribe and translate the Spanish-language interviews and to give each of the parent participants a small stipend for participating in this study. Special thanks go to my four children—Bethany, Matthew, Lettie, and Leah. They have been my strongest support, while at the same time sacrificing the most, so that I could continue my love of learning. Ronda L. Bickmore vii CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................. iii PUBLIC ABSTRACT .................................................................................................. v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................ vi LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................ ix LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................................... x CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................ 1 Study Purpose ................................................................................................... 4 Defining Negotiation ........................................................................................ 5 II. LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................. 7 Situating the Study ............................................................................................ 7 Negotiation of Language and Culture ............................................................... 16 Limitations ........................................................................................................ 22 III. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK .................................................................... 25 Postcolonial Theory .......................................................................................... 26 Social and Cultural Capital ............................................................................... 33 Discourses ......................................................................................................... 37 Research Questions ........................................................................................... 40 IV. METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................... 41 Research Setting................................................................................................ 42 Participants ........................................................................................................ 43 Methods............................................................................................................. 44 Important Considerations .................................................................................. 49 viii Page V. FINDINGS: LANGUAGE AND CULTURE .................................................. 55 Oral Communication ........................................................................................
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